Many of the antiviral agents reported to date as inhibiting viral replication are targeted at viral proteases or reverse transcriptases of viruses and so on.
For example, in the case of HIV virus, methods targeting the characteristics of the HIV genome are used. HIV's RNA genome is converted into DNA (provirus) by reverse transcriptase, and is then integrated into host chromosomes. Then, the transcription and translation mechanisms of the host cells produce viral proteins from the proviral DNA. These proteins are transcribed as large polyprotein precursors. The precursors are cleaved into proteins by proteases, and then HIV virus is re-constituted and matured. Thus, HIV inhibitors targeted to each step in this HIV maturation process have been studied and developed; such inhibitors include (1) AZT and the like, which are targeted at reverse transcriptases characteristic of retroviruses (Non-patent Document 1) and (2) protease inhibitors, which inhibit proteases (Non-patent Document 2).
However, all of these are individually targeted antiviral agents that specifically attack the propagation process of the various viruses.
Non-patent Document 1: Proc Natl Acad Sci USA Vol. 83, No. 21, pp. 8333-7
Non-patent Document 2: Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1995 July; 39(7):1559-64